This invention relates to a nonmetallic surgical clip. More specifically, this invention relates to a nonmetallic surgical clip having two separate and noncontiguous parts. Each part of the clip contains an arm, and means for approximating the cooperating surfaces of the two arms.
An embodiment of this invention is wherein the approximating means comprise a protrusion at the proximal end of one arm and an opening at the proximal end of the other arm. A specific embodiment is wherein the protrusion and the opening are in an oblique relationship to the arms.
The oblique relationship of the protrusion and the opening to the arms has at least two advantages. One advantage is that the height of the surgical clip decreases in an oblique relationship between the protrusion and the opening, and the arms, as compared to a perpendicular relationship. Also the greater the oblique relationship (that is, the further from a perpendicular or 90.degree. relationship), the greater the decrease in the height of the surgical clip.
Another advantage is that the force required to open a surgical clip after the cooperating surfaces have been approximated increases with an oblique relationship between the protrusion and the opening, and the arms, as compared to a perpendicular relationship. Again, the greater the oblique relationship (that is, the further from a perpendicular or 90.degree. relationship), the greater the increase in the force required to open a surgical clip.
Both of these advantages are extremely important, and may even be critical, in a surgical procedure, e.g. the ligating of a blood vessel. It is critical that a surgical ligating clip stop the flow of blood through a vessel. If the vessel ligated is an artery, then a variable force (due to the expansion and contraction of the heart muscle) will be acting on the clip. The surgical clip of this invention in an oblique relationship assures a wide margin of safety against even a partial opening of the approximated clip cooperating surfaces, after a blood vessel is ligated.
Also of extreme importance is the size of the surgical clip and mechanical applicator used in ligation. That is, surgical clips, although ideal in all properties except size, can be essentially without usefulness if, e.g., the vessel or tissue to be ligated is in a small area or if other vessels or organs impede the placement of the applicator and/or clip. Therefore, as a general statement, a better surgical clip is one that is smaller and/or thinner than the state of the art surgical clips. For all of the above reasons, the surgical clip of this invention is new, useful and unobvious over the known state of the art surgical clips.